


Play Time

by orphan_account



Series: Theaterstuck [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, F/M, Far Too Many Shakespeare References, M/M, Multi, Theater - Freeform, This Is Incredibly Self Indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-30
Updated: 2015-04-30
Packaged: 2018-03-26 11:33:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3849397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drama departments are full of dramatic people.<br/>High school drama departments are even worse.</p><p>(High school theater AU, slow davejade)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Play Time

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I love theater, and spend most of my time doing it, so I thought I'd do the same to my faves. I plan for this to be my longest fic to date, which isn't saying much because my only multichapter is just about to hit 3000 words. I hope you enjoy!

  
**AUDITIONS TOMORROW AND WEDNESDAY!**

**A Midsummer Night's Dream!**

**Come try for a part, or apply for a crew!**

**Help us make this the best show at SHS!**  


Dave studied the sign in front of him, deeper in thought than his flat expression would suggest. Shakespeare? Really? That wasn't exactly a crowd gatherer. And yet, he knew he would try out for it. Of course he would. He had been in the drama department since his freshman year, there was no way he would miss the play of his senior year.

But still. Shakespeare?

A presence at his side spoke. "Hmm. Midsummer. Though I can't imagine there will be a huge audience, I can appreciate all the phallic references dear William doesn't even _try_ to hide."

"Hey, Rose! You gonna try out?" That was John, who must have walked up with Rose.

"Obviously."

"Haha, same! Kinda wanna get Lysander. What about you?"

"Hey guys!" Jade wandered up next to the other three to look at the poster. "Ooh, Midsummer? This one is supposed to be funny! I haven't read it though." 

Dave had a sudden realization. "Yo, aren't the leads supposed to be two girls and two guys?"

John looked confused. "Yeah, so?"

Dave gave him a significant look, gesturing to the group around him. John's brow furrowed further, then suddenly cleared in realization.

"Oh! Ohhhhh. Guys, we should be the lovers!"

"I'll have to repress my lesbian urges, then." Rose said dryly. "Unless I could be Demetrius?"

"Rose, it's okay to pretend. You're an actress! Plus, I think Kanaya would come after me if I tried to romance you, even on stage." Jade laughed.

"Damn shame. This department needs more gay." 

"Dave, you're straight."

"Harley, I am literally the only person standing in this circle who is."

They all looked around. Lesbian Rose, pan Jade, ace biromantic John, and... Dave.

"I'll start a petition," Rose declared, then strode off, presumably to find her girlfriend.

"...Okay, but I really want to be Lysander."

"I'll be Demetrius. He's a dick."

"Rose is short, so she'd be better for Hermia, and that leaves me with Helena!"

"You were pretty quick to make yourself Demetrius's love interest. You tryin' to woo me?"

Jade punched Dave's arm. "You wish, loser."

Dave clutched is heart. "You wound me."

"Alright, if you two are done flirting," John interrupted, continuing to talk over the vehement protests of Dave and Jade, "I have a study date with Karkat, and I need to find a monologue for the audition. See you guys later!"

Dave's face was flat, and Jade's skin was Hawaii browned, but neither of those things could hide the blush that left them both glowing red. 

\--

Dave Strider was an old hat at auditions. He had been in every show at Skaia HS, moving from chorus to walk-ons to supporting characters. Senior year, he was gunning for a lead.

Just because you're used to something, that doesn't make it any less anxiety-inducing.

John was doing something from _King Lear_ for his audition, something about elements. Rose had chosen the final monologue of Kate's from the _Taming of the Shrew_ , which seemed out of character until he saw her practicing it with an incredibly sardonic tone, almost to the point of caricature. Jade was auditioning with Juliet's last monologue from _Romeo and Juliet_ , a play that both she and Rose would fiercely defend from the ruthless cynics of their high school English class. Jade believed in love at first sight and the power of teenagers to destroy and rebuild, Rose just liked to debate, especially on the side of the minority.

But he digressed.

Dave had chosen Dogberry's speech from _Much Ado About Nothing_ , mostly because it was the first he found, and it said ass a bunch of times. Hell, it had a line that read, "But, masters, remember that I am an ass; though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an ass." 

He couldn't wait to do this in front of Rose's mom.

\--

Everyone planning to audition sat around outside the door to backstage, waiting to get called by their stage manager Karkat to their audition. However, Mrs. Lalonde and Bro (people called him Mr. Strider. Once.) were getting situated and pulling together the list. People Dave recognized, plus assorted unfamiliar freshman, milled about, reviewed monologues, and tittered nervously. 

One such freshman with an impressive mohawk wandered over and said, "Uh, hi. Everyone else is busy, so can you, um, help me practice?"

Dave looked around. John was with Jade, Rose with Kanaya, Feferi with some freshman in a scarf (what the hell was up with that. It was barely September. Chill.), and Nepeta, Aradia, Vriska, and Terezi were all sitting in a circle. 

"Yeah, sure, dude. Nice hair, by the way. You a freshman?"

"Um, yeah. Y- you're a...?"

"Senior."

The kids eyes widen. "O- oh, um sorry if I bothered you. I can, um, I can just-"

Dave grabbed his arm. "Slow down, dude, it's chill. I'm not about to give you a swirly or some bullshit. Name's Dave. You?"

"T- Tavros."

"Aight, Tavros, what's your piece?"

He held up a paper. "I'm doing Porter's, um, speech, from _Ma- Macbe-_ "

Dave slammed his hand over Tavros's mouth. "Yo. That's a good one. Just don't say the name."

"W- What? Uh, why?"

Dave leaned in close. "Imma let you in on a little secret, so get a goddamn microscope cause this shit is _minuscule._ Theater kids are hella superstitious. Take sports people and multiply it by 400. Don't say the name. Fuckin' m-word all up in here. Gotta wash your mouth out with soap or some shit."

Tavros's eyes got round as coins, and he nodded vigorously before peeling Dave's hand off his face. " _Mi hermano_ , uh, my brother, he plays rugby and he's very superstitious. So, uh, times 400? Wow."

"Yeah. We're wild about traditions and superstitions and shit here. A bunch of dramatic people shoved together for months at a time? We're gonna do a bunch of fuckin' weird stuff."

"Haha, y- yeah. So, um, about practicing...?"

"Oh. Right. We're at auditions."

Together, they sat as Tavros started up his monologue.

"Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were a porter of hellgate, he should have old turning the key..."

\--

Karkat barrel out of the door to the stage. "Alright, fuckfaces, listen up. Time to get you mouthbreathers in and out of here so I can be home in time for _empanadas_ , because I am not missing that shit."

Dave piped up from the back. "Hey, Karkat, try talking louder, we can't hear you back here."

Karkat jammed a finger in Dave's general direction. "How about you shut the fuck up, you steaming pile of go fuck yourself."

"Love you too, CrabCake."

"Do _not_ start this shit with me, Strider, or so help me God I will break off _all_ of your fingers and _shove them up your-_ "

Jade, conveniently close, punched him in the arm and said, "Hey, Krabby, some of us want to audition!"

Karkat groaned loudly, then slammed his face into John's chest. "I don't get paid enough to deal with you assholes." 

John patted his back. "You don't get paid anything."

Karkat groaned once more, then straightened up and shouted, "Eridan Ampora! You're up!"

Scarf Kid moved from Feferi's side where he seemed to have glued himself (which would not turn out well for him, considering she was dating Sollux), and walked in. The buzz of people practicing and chatting, but more tense than before. 

_Here we go._

\--

"John Egbert!"

"Jade Harley!"

"Rose Lalonde!"

"Nepeta Leijon!"

"Kanaya Maryam!"

"Aradia Megido!"

"Tavros Nitram!"

"Terezi Pyrope!"

"Vriska Serket!"

Dave got more and more fidgety with each name called, but refused to move more than tapping his fingers and adjusting the paper with his monologue printed on it. With Vriska going in, that meant he was next. He hated this alphabetical order, because that meant his three closest friends went in, then he had to wait for ages before it was his turn. 

"Dave Strider!"

_Shit._

**Author's Note:**

> This can go one of two ways: you can either have fast, short updates, or longer, slow-coming updates. I would love some constructive criticism, especially on characterization! Thanks for reading!


End file.
